


Life Mate

by lockandkey



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety Attacks, M/M, References to Depression, Self-Esteem Issues, Sixsome, Slow Burn, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Switching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:54:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27897871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockandkey/pseuds/lockandkey
Summary: Life mates exist - but York was pretty sure he wasn't ever going to have one. They were things of pageantry, they were for celebrities, or whoever else could afford to find theirs.Plus, he was just a average looking editorialist in a small town.Finding out he was the last mate of 5 men wasn't really how he expected his life to go.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Life Mate

**Author's Note:**

> I started this year's ago and figured maybe someone would like it. Definitely a bit different than my fanfiction, but it was a guilty pleasure to write. 
> 
> Added note: I chose the characters names entirely at random on a name generator website at the time and decided not to change a single one.  
> They're totally and utterly terrible and unsexy - but I love them now anyway.

Life mates exist.

Not that any but a very select few ever find theirs.

Only ever the extremely wealthy have access to the ceremony that is involved in the selection. It isn't so much that selection ceremony cost money - it never has, as a purely religious and spiritual occasion and institution. However, one must collect items to give to the Gods, and those items could be found literally anywhere on the face of the planet. Scribes and Seers are responsible were interpreting the will of the Gods and finding out what the individual or individuals must bring in donation or sacrifice. This could be quite costly to procurer the resources and equipment needed in finding these items, so usually only the exorbitantly wealthy and royalty could ever afford such a thing.

Another misconception is that a Life Mate is limited to one per person.

A Mate is understood to be founded on the basis of completion, balance, and complimentary traits. Thus, while many may simply have one individual who fits all of those needs, there are a few that have more than one. It is considered more unique since in the case of more than one Mate, there needs to be a match of persons between all parties, not simply one to one. When the ceremony is held, and what an affair it is, the person who is picked as the new Mate is given a color which alerts them if they are the one mate…or if more are to be found.

In the case of Old Money Douglas Waters, a 32 year old major figure in politics, he had exactly 4 mates. So far. This making a group of 5, a size which was almost completely unheard of. A grouping of such a size hadn't occurred in the last 135 years. They had all become something of legends and idols in the modern era, for plenty of reasons.

A Mating Ceremony itself, while not always, was now usually televised. It truly was a pageantry of sorts, in which multiple newspapers and news corporations, and of course the tabloids would speculate. Interviews would be held, not with just the original mate or mates, but questioning everyone from friends to the lowliest of workers. Essentially anyone who knew the original mates would be gone over with a fine tooth comb, looking for some type of connection to the person who would be revealed when the time came. It rarely ended up amounting to anything, except in a few select cases in which a Royal of a country who had fallen for someone outside their own rank wanted to have a justified reason to bring said individual into their family. Being officially declared someone’s life mate was viewed as far more binding than just marriage, and no one had the ability to question the authenticity without repercussions arising. There had never been an instance in the history of humanity, that was known of, where a mate bond was broken or dissolved. Simply because serious problems rarely arose between mates. They were truly bonded, in heart and soul, even before ever meeting one another. Illnesses and disease even occurred far less frequently between mates, for reasons unknown, going so far as that most mates who reached old age tended to pass away within moments of one another.

To most people, it was a fairy tale, the concept of getting picked. Even just the idea of possibly living out that life created such a spark in the minds of many, that the festivities over a mating continued to grow. This was even higher in the case of Douglas Waters and the mates he discovered, since the search had been ongoing for many years. Bets and polls were a normal occasion, for months even before the ceremony actually happened. Even things such as the color schemes of the meeting area would be discussed in depth, usually at the cost of what some may consider 'actual' news. In the case of Douglas, the celebration had grown yearly, though it had never been a small affair.

Since the very first mating ceremony, Douglas agreed to have the reveal televised on his end. When the mate discovered they had been picked, they would get in contact by phone, this conversation was filmed and recorded. In years before telephones, celebrations often went on for weeks, as there was the chance of an individual being picked who lived hundreds of thousands of miles away. There was a very famous tale of a Princess who conducted the ceremony, and the girl who later became a just and fair Queen found her paper glowing a golden hue had to travel for over 2 months to finally reach her.

A paper was the easiest means of going about the ceremony. Officials of the mating ceremony would work together with Godly selected witches to enchant slips of paper. The wouldn't deteriorate or tear, and could be delivered easiest to the masses. Stores, mailboxes, sidewalks, and even delivered by plane were all ways they were distributed. An individual would grab a paper, apply a single drop of blood, and the paper would be specifically connected to them and only them. This made it so the chances of faking a selection was nearly impossible, and had never occurred. Everyone above the age of 18 was expected to obtain a paper, and there could be consequences in not doing so. Even though it wasn't technically illegal, public pressure was so intense that it never really had to be enforced. Even for those who protested the concept of being forced to take a paper, very few minded the idea of finding their true life mate.

Douglas Waters was rich, and quite intelligent. While he came from a family of money, supposedly a distant relative of royal families, Douglas was also quite the skilled CEO and seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to predicting the stock market. If there was a way to make money, Douglas had already made it. There were some questions if all of his business ventures were entirely legal, but with the help of a team of quite good lawyers, Douglas assured that any doubts were unfounded. In addition, Douglas was a private person; he rarely made public appearances, except for business and the Mating Ceremonies. But the man was attractive, sporting a healthy natural tan and well cut clothing. His hair was dark, though he had a touch of a premature gray touching in just above his ears. Dark eyes completed the Tall, Dark, and Handsome image he put forth. Though, admittedly at 5”11, he wasn't the tallest of all the mates; regardless, Douglas' strong frame and proud features, no one viewed him as small.

The first mate Douglas had discovered during the mating ceremony was an already noted pediatrician, Sully Ivers. Sully Ivers and Douglas Waters had actually met a few times before, when Douglas made a large contribution to the children's hospital Sully worked in. They both reported after the mating ceremony, that both men had been rather taken with one another. It was a tug, a draw, that many people who were mated and knew each other previously reported. They hadn't acted on their attraction, for work related reasons, both the young men living fairly complicated lives. Sully himself was on the cutting edge of diagnoses, and gene therapy cancer research. After the mating ceremony, Douglas and Sully went about rearranging their businesses so they could properly have time for one another. It would have been a hard compromise for most people, but they seemed to ease right through it. Sully was actually a year older than Douglas, and around the same height. He was an ideal figure for his job, with kind brown eyes and medium colored hair. On paper, many of his features were average, and maybe he wasn't dashingly handsome, but once he spoke everyone knew why people were enamored by the man. Douglas and Sully together made quite the image, having the popularity of nearly a royal wedding.

The shock came when Sully's paper turned a bright blue instead of gold. Gold signifying a complete mating; Blue signified more mates left to discover. And so they did. While it usually took a very many resources and often many years to collect all needed things, Douglas and Sully seemed to luck out. The very next summer, they tried again.

The second discovered was a young fashion designer, named Pierre Hampton. Pierre had already made quite a name for himself in the fashion industry. He was a clothing designer, not to mention he had done the makeup and hair for numerous actors. Pierre was 27 at the time of the ceremony, 3 years younger than Douglas, 4 younger than Sully. Pierre was known for his creative instincts and flexibility in almost any situation, often taking on tasks that most avoided. He was extremely driven, which was why he found himself a well known name in the Fashion industry at such a young age. Even appearing in a few film roles, simply because directors and actors, liked and respected him. Pierre's family was mixed race, mother Nigerian, father German. Pierre often quipped that his background and family let him appreciate the differences in art, style and fashion from an early age. His popularity wasn't hurt that the man was quite nice on eyes with a natural dark complexion with golden undertones, bright baby blue eyes, and just the lightest touch of freckles. No one really expected anyone to match the imagery of Douglas and Sully together, but Pierre managed to fit in seamlessly. Then again, no one expected Pierre's paper to turn the same bright blue Sully's had either, indicating another mate to be found yet again.

4 mates? It was a crazy concept to most, when the majority of the population simply got married to a singular person.

That was, until the next year when the 3rd mate was revealed. Waylon Eachann was a name most households already knew. Waylon was an 30 year old athlete extraordinaire, and pretty damn charming if you asked anyone who had met the man. Waylon easily fit in with most walks of life, having the active life style of any athlete, yet being quite down to earth and willing to kick back and talk with just about anyone. And while Waylon seemingly loved spending the night out with friends and celebrating with fans, no nasty rumors or issues ever popped up. Drinking socially, never getting drunk. There had even been a number of reports of him calling cabs for fans, or he himself driving friends home if they had too much. It was just plain hard to dislike the man. He had a head of soft bouncing auburn curls that were light enough to be just a touch ginger, with gray eyes, and a lean body to kill for. Waylon himself had already been contemplating finding his own mate, having nearly enough money to establish his own ceremony. Waylon's winnings from swimming, cycling and sponsors around the world ensured he already lived in the lap of luxury. It was often remarked that he still seemed to keep a head about him, an image that was helped by him regularly donating large sums of money to charities.

The look on even Douglas Water's face when Waylons blue slip was revealed mirrored much of the shocked amazement echoing across multiple countries.

Another was still yet to come? Well it wasn't like anyone would be complaining. Waylon fit in with the others just as easily as Sully and Pierre had. Any momentary shock was pushed away, and the love that was found between the newly established mates was nearly palpable. It wasn't that mates never fought, or had disagreements, but they always found a way. Because they suited one another like nothing else could. What was the problem with finding one more person you could share all of yourself with?

The next, however, was a bit of a surprise. 20 year old, rather young for a chosen mate, Darnell Maddox. Darnell came from an upper middle class family, one that was actually connected to one of Douglas Water's businesses, though the two mates had never met one another. Darnell had always been an extroverted person, and did well throughout school, even fitting in remarkably well with his highschool's theatre group. While he was in school, he had been scouted, and at the age of 16 became a model. There were rumors flitting around after the mating ceremony of the possibility of Pierre and Darnell having slept together while shooting a piece. Neither man denied the rumors, nor did they admit them, acting rather amused when the subject was brought up. (Partially due to the fact, if they had been together, Darnell would have been between 17 at the time.)

People often held “paper-parties” in which friends would come together all with their slips of enchanted paper, and watch the news for when the event would be held. The year of his selection, Darnell threw one of these parties himself, and as a male model, his parties were quite the event in and of themselves. While Sully had been rather sweet and bashful when he realized his slip was glowing, Pierre began crying while laughing happily, Waylon remarked it was the best thing to ever happen to him, equating it to winning the biggest and best competition of the century. Darnell, however, whooped and cheered for himself. Dancing around the house, forgetting for a few minutes to actually alert someone to his winning. Darnell soon got the reputation of being the ditzy blond of the group, regardless of having a 4.0 throughout school even while balancing his modeling career which often had him moving around the world.

Regardless, the outgoing, and often narcissistic blond fit in just as well as the last had.

There was only one sore point, the blue shade of his paper.

No one was really sure why mates weren't revealed all at once, not even the seers and witches of the world. It was simply how the God's worked, and there was no point questioning it.

In interviews with the current mates, who now held a cult status within the populous, there was a weary humor between them. There could never be any upset over the chances of finding another mate, but there was a sense of wanting to complete their group as quickly as possible. When faced with the chance of true happiness, it was no surprise.

The biggest surprise, however, was the very last mate to be discovered.

York was walking home from work, the evening of the ceremony with his own paper pushed quite deeply into the depths of his book- bag. There was a 1 in something huge amount of billion of being picked, and frankly he didn't see much point in sitting around hoping to be disappointed. It was no secret that all of the current mates were extremely attractive, all with their own well off sources of income, in a few million...billion dollar home off in the middle of who knows where.

No, York was certain a 5”..nudge the number alittle up to 4, guy with shitty vision, eczema, and a few extra pounds would not be picked. He didn't have much going for him, besides editing things at the local struggling newspaper. Which meant shit pay. Which meant shit apartment. Which meant shit food. Don't even get him started on the shit secondhand clothes he was sporting.

No, the ceremonies weren't the lottery type event that people acted like. They were a royal wedding, and unless you were a prince or princess, you weren't getting picked.

York had an extreme dislike for the event, since it was a given that every year since Douglas Waters had started his little search, that York would end up editing crappy article after crappy article about any one of them. York ended up knowing far more than he ever wanted to about each of the mates, simply via work. If he never had to read another article about which color scheme their clothing would be this year, York would have traded his left thumb. Even worse were the 'spicy' articles that discussed the possibilities of their sex lives. Questions of, 'how would that work?' with lengthy details of how that would indeed work, left a series of mental images in York's head he'd rather do without. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to men, especially those particular men. No, many a late night/early morning/boring afternoon/shower session assured himself that he found them quite attractive. But, no one needed to think just exactly where one partners right foot would be placed on a couch, if another partner happened to be in an downward facing dog position.

The horrors of small time journalism, in a downward facing economy.

A ring broke out from York's cellphone in his pocket, stopping he leaned against a cold brick wall to fish it out.

Ah, yes. His best friend, ie; only friend.

“Hey,” York said softly. It was cold as hell out, and as much as he loved his buddy Rex, it was cold as hell out.

“You hear the big news?” Rex's voice came through the speaker, excited. York snorted, shoving his free hand into a sweater pocket.

“Which super star athlete humanitarian did they get this year, and how many more years are we going to be stuck hearing about them?” York said with a lopsided grin, now realizing he could dig out and toss away his own paper. Swinging his heavy bag around his front, and crouching down on the sidewalk York pulled out his free hand and began to dig around for the stupid piece of enchanted paper.

“No, dude, that's the thing. It's been like 4 hours, and no one has heard anything yet. They had to actually go back to real news after awhile. They, of course, keep cutting back to the fab 5 just to see how confused they are.”

York raised an eyebrow as Rex spoke but didn't think much of it. Chances were someone just got so over excited they passed out or something like that, or like what happened with Darnell…just decided to celebrate first and forgot.

Rex continued talking, “-BeeTeeDubs, the color scheme this year is Underseas Gray Blue, with accents of Cream Ivory and Dutch Tile Blue. ”

York's lip tipped up slightly. Gross.

York's train of thought was cut off when he noticed a weird reflection off his binder inside his bag. There wasn't a light source inside the bag, so how...Oh shit, York's eyes widened. He began digging with fervor, screaming loudly inside his own head, but not a sound escaped his mouth. York had always been pretty tight lipped, never wanted to cause alarm or rock any boats. He sure as hell didn't want to alert anyone in the area, if they hadn't already noticed him nearly sitting on the sidewalk tearing things out of his bag.

His hand froze, after removing a book and revealing his paper. His now glowing paper. His now gold glowing paper.

“Uh, Rex...I..need to call you back. Something. uh. Just happened.” York's voice sounded high and tight even to himself. It was probably because something inside him just died, and its last death scream was trying to escape out of his throat.

“Wait, what? Are you okay? You sound weird. You don't usually sound like anything.”

“Um. Yes. Maybe. No. Yes. Uh. My paper is uh. Doing ....the thing.”

The world that had felt so cold before to York, now felt a million times colder and yet he could feel himself sweating. He began to feel a bit tingly, and it began to sound as though water was rushing past his ears. Oh, York thought, my blood pressure just dropped.

There was silence on the other side of the line for a moment.

“...Are you joking?...York? Your paper is-...you? I.. okay you need to call the number...uh. Do it at home. Or, yeah. I mean wait to…tell anyone else. Until you're alone.” York knew why Rex was saying what he was saying. It was only a bit insulting, if York had the ability to feel emotions right now anyway. That must have been the part of him that died.

“I-...yeah. Okay. I'll.. go..do. Do that? I gues- Rex, it's gold.”

“Motherfucker,” Rex breathed out sounding stunned. The was another break of silence before Rex added, “you know, I had no idea you were a super star athlete humanitarian.”

York couldn't find it in him to even laugh ruefully


End file.
